Bitten
by Eve Woods
Summary: Midorima and Takao are walking home when a werewolf attacks them. Finding out old friends are hunters, others magic-users, and some spirits, the pair is pulled into the world of the supernatural. Aomine and Momoi seem to know what's going on, but how much do they really know? Warning: BL. Midotaka, Aokise, Hayamiya, etc.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I'm starting another story! I don't know how often I'll update this since I'm busy with my other fics. I'm guessing maybe once a month? Depends on my schedule, honestly. To explain this better than the short blip, Midorima and Takao are walking home when Midorima gets attacked by a werewolf. There will be hints of depression and other themes in this book but nothing too dramatic. Also, I won't spoil all of the couples but a few of the reoccurring side characters will be: Aomine, Momoi, Miyaji, Hayama, and Izuki. Please R&R! Reviews keep me writing!

* * *

_Chapter One: Stranger Danger_

It was late after practice and the sun had gone down, a harvest moon rising to fill up the dark violet sky. Most of the other civilians had already gone to bed and those that were still roaming around were bundled up to combat the crisp November breeze.

Gold and red leaves crunched underfoot as Midorima and Takao walked home from practice. It was Thursday and both had a Chemistry test the next day, so their pace was quicker than usual. The rickshaw had (coincidentally right after Midorima's weird statue of a robot broke) a busted tire so they were on foot that day.

"Well, Shin-chan, look's like were not gonna—ugh!" Takao coughed and tried not to get winded as a figure leapt from the shadows of the alleyway and tackled him to the alley wall. Dirt smudged into Takao's cheek and he wheezed and struggled to get a good look at his attacker. The man was at least six foot five, dressed in a muddy undone button-down and a torn pair of jeans, and there was some weird sort of musky smell emitting from him. "Hey! Let me go!" Takao huffed, still trying to get a grip with his surroundings. Adrenaline pumped through his body and his heartbeat overthrew his hearing.

"No chance, freshmeat." The man snorted and snapped his teeth in the teen's ear, snarling and growling in a feral manner while his hands sunk into the skin over Takao's ribs. He opened his mouth widely, his hot breath ghosting over the creamy skin in front of him, and moved his head towards Takao's neck when a punch sent him reeling to the ground.

Takao whipped sideways. Midorima stood at the edge of the alleyway, chest lurching as he huffed out breath, form twisted from punching the stranger. His face was livid, sharp green eyes flashing.

"Get _away_ from him!" He growled, and when the man made an inhumanely quick jump to his feet Midorima leapt forward and threw the other to the ground.

Now, Midorima was not a light person. He was over six feet tall, played basketball, and regularly attended practice every weekday. Takao fully expected him to be able to pin the attacker down, no problem. What he did not expect was the man taking Midorima head on with a maniac, feral grin, leaping forward instead of being tackled back. And although he was definitely smaller than Midorima he managed to overpower the other, pushing him bodily into the wall Takao had previously been against and using his momentum to pin the Miracle to it.

But what followed shocked Takao so much he couldn't even move. In the blink of an eye the man had grabbed the arm trying to push him away and bit it. His eyes flashed golden in the moonlight—it had to be the moonlight, what else could it be?—and Midorima let out a strangled sort of half-yell, half-yowl and intensified his struggling. Finally getting a bearing on what was happening, Takao moved to push the strange man off of his partner when a hand pushed him back onto his butt.

It happened in a flash. Before, it was just Takao, Midorima, and the attacker. Suddenly Aomine was there, dressed in black shirt and pants and a dark blue hoodie, and his hand was pressing something into the attacker's back—a broken, rusty thermometer. The stranger howled loudly before falling to the ground in a twitching mess. Aomine didn't hesitate to drive his foot into the convulsing stomach, gritting his teeth loudly and kicking until the figure ceased to twitch. Midorima's chest flew up and down as he hyperventilated and a pink-haired girl came running to him: Momoi. She quickly checked his pulse and shined a small flashlight in his eyes before turning to Aomine.

"It doesn't look like it. We got here in time." She flashed a relieved smile.

"No." Aomine said with a frown. He gave Midorima and Takao once-overs and sighed, running a hand through his hair tiredly. "It's too early to tell. We'll have to take them back to my place."

"Woah." Takao scrambled back when they took a step towards him, hands in front of his chest. "Woah, hey, no. I'm not going _anywhere_ with you. You—You just—"

"I just saved you." Aomine said, squatting down next to Takao and sighing. He didn't look angry, just tired.

"Yeah, by _stabbing someone_." Takao backed up some more until his back hit the alley wall. He expected Aomine to edge closer and box him in but instead the other sent a wavering, weary look.

"Fine." He backed up. "Momoi, you talk to him." He went back to Midorima, who had a glazed over and vacant look on his face, hooked an arm around the greenettes shoulders to lead him out of the alley. Momoi sent Takao a kind smile and approached him slowly.

"Takao-kun," She began gently, stepping over the attacker's body as she moved, "There's something that explains all of this. And if we could, we would tell you right here or let you go home. But we can't. I swear once we get to a safer place we will, but until then it's not safe to discuss it here."

Takao looked into her eyes; she didn't _look _like she was lying…he sighed. "Fine. But—but I swear to god if you try to kill either of us I'll—I have a really sharp keychain." Wow, Takao. Threat of the year. Stay away from you. He finally accepted her outstretched and allowed himself to be lead out of the alley.

_Full moon tonight. _He realized, looking up at the harvest moon. _Whatever. Not like it matters anyway, right?_

Wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two: House of Hunters_

"Look." They were sitting down around the little table in Aomine and Momoi's house ("It's not like that! Our parents made us live together!"). Aomine sat across from them while Momoi prepared the tea. "Instead of just dancing around the subject I'm going to go out and say it. That guy out there was a werewolf." Surprisingly enough, neither Takao nor Midorima cracked a smile. In face, the greenette didn't even look surprised. "Dunno if he's dead, honestly; the mercury from the thermometer I stabbed him with might do him in."

"Mercury?" Midorima raised an eyebrow and coughed into his fist. "I believe it's silver that kills werewolves."

"And _I _believe that out of the two of us, _I'm_ the werewolf hunter." The pair started and Aomine rolled his eyes. "Calm down, we only take care of the pups and the ones that go rogue."

"Pups?" Takao asked uneasily.

"New wolves." Aomine shrugged and eyed both of them carefully. "They're out of control. Within a few hours of the bite, they'll be a mess. Most wolves keep their human conscious when they transform, but the first change without an Alpha or being the Alpha they don't. It's dangerous. We either chain 'em up or kill them when they escape."

Midorima went stiff and Aomine seemed to pick up on it, his eyes lazing around them before rolling and closing.

"Which one?" He asked knowingly. Momoi walked into the room with a platter of steaming mugs, setting one down for everyone before sitting herself next to Aomine. He picked his up without opening his eyes and took a sip, wincing at the harsh flavor.

"Which one what?" Momoi asked.

"One of them got bit. I'm asking which one."

Cue awkward silence. Then Midorima said, "Me."

"I-is he going to transform?" Takao asked nervously. Aomine rolled his shoulders with a grimace and looked like he was making a tough decision.

"Yeah…look, it's not ideal, but you have to get out of here. It's dangerous for you. Don't—" He eyed Midorima with a calculative look. "Don't go home. Call your parents and tell them you're staying out tonight, but don't go home and skip school tomorrow. We'll have it under control by then."

"Why should I—"

"I'll give you a drive to your house so you can pick up your things," Momoi interrupted, standing up and pushing Takao out of the room and through the front door. The lock clicked shut behind them.

"What is it?" Midorima asked, preparing for the worst. Aomine grimaced again.

"Look, Midorima, I don't…fuck this! They never trained me for this! I can't _believe I let this happen!_" He growled, standing up in fury and kicking the wall before turning to his old friend. "Knowing you, you're an Alpha. Which means that the first thing you're gonna want to do is make a pack."

"A…pack?" Midorima could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Yeah, a pack! A fucking pack! And do you know who you're gonna go after first?" Aomine pointed to the door angrily. Now that it was just the two of them, his boiling emotions were showing through. "Him! You're fucking wolf DNA shit is gonna go fricken' haywire around him and any other person you like or respect!"

"Wha—no. Absolutely not. I'll contain it. I can't miss basketball practice." Midorima crossed his arms. There was no way he was missing practice, not when they were all _so close_ to becoming a true team. Especially after Akashi beat them; he could never let that happen again.

"Forget practice!" Aomine yelled, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "You can't go to _school_ like this!"

"Forget about it." Midorima leaned back in his chair and scoffed. "I don't know whatever this werewolf story you're talking to me about is, but no matter if it is someone wooing Takao or these _werewolf urges_ you're spouting about, I will suppress them."

Aomine gaped at him and Midorima slapped a hand over his mouth. _Crap…?! Why did I say—_

"It's already kicking in. You—you're already losing control." Aomine whispered hoarsely. "Shit, it's already kicking in. Shit shit shit. Man, you—you can't leave. We have to chain you up. Like _now._" He advanced towards Midorima, who backed up.

"Get away from me!" He snarled, feeling an unnatural savageness pulsing through his veins, and when Aomine took another step forward he whipped his hand out and punched the other in the gut. Hard. Thankfully the bluenette was built of steel and it only momentarily winded him, but it brought both of them to a realization of the situation they were in.

_…I could hurt Takao_. Midorima realized, and could almost smell the worry flowing from Aomine. He allowed the other to grab his wrists and lead him out of the room to the basement, feeling like he was in some kind of horrible, twisted trance.

"We have some silver chains downstairs. I don't know how long it's going to last for you since it's—uh—you, but I'm guessing maybe a day or so…? Normally the Beta would be here to help you through it…um, don't freak out when you wake up, just call me or Momoi down. You'll be naked so we'll stop by your house and pick up some stuff, okay?"

"…Alright." Midorima nodded, affronted by how well-prepared Aomine seemed (even if he was a little impulsive and nervous).

"Okay." The bluenette nodded and opened the door to the cellar. There were a few beaten wooden posts a few feet from each other in a half-circle. Aomine gently set him against one of them and dragged a giant heap of silver chains from the corner. Moonlight filtered into the otherwise empty room from a barred window. "Sorry about this."

"It's…alright." Midorima said calmly, though inside his senses were raging, ordering him to throw Aomine to the ground and sink his teeth into that long, strong neck. _I really need help…_Maybe after this he'd talk to Miyaji about self-control. The teen didn't seem to have it most of the time, but it was true—he was the best with advice on reigning in one's frustrations. At least, he'd relieved Midorima of his stress multiple times.

Aomine finished chaining Midorima to the middle post and stood back with a grim expression. "Don't worry." He decided to say. "You're not alone. Momoi and I will help you through this, man."

"I know." Midorima anwered. He couldn't stop staring at the other's neck and _god_ he could practically hear the man's heartbeat and—"Please leave."

"Y-yeah." Aomine nodded to him and headed towards the door.

"Aomine?" The greenette called before he could exit.

Aomine turned. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Aomine grinned nervously. "Thank me when you wake up tomorrow."

* * *

_8 P.M the next day_

"How is he?" Momoi asked as Aomine walked up the steps from the cellar. His expression was still haunted from the guilt of letting his friend get bitten. He wiped his face with a bony hand and grabbed a doughnut from the counter.

"Not good." Aomine groaned, biting into the confection. "He wants Takao. Is it possible for a wolf to mate without knowing it?"

"I haven't heard of it before," Momoi said, patting her friend on the back comfortingly, "But knowing how oblivious Mido-kun can be he would figure out a way."

"Yeah," Aomine chuckled darkly, leaning into Momoi's touch. "I bet—"

A noise like cracking wood filled the air. It was coming from the downstairs.

Both hunters shared a panicked look before bolting down to the basement. The sound of metal wrenching filled the air and when they flung the cellar door open, the sight before them filled them with horror.

Midorima had come free of his chains, wrenched the bars away from the window, and shattered the glass to freedom. The cellar was empty.

"Shit." Aomine cursed and flipped open his phone.

"Who is he trying to find?" Momoi asked worriedly.

"Takao. It has to be."

Shit indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three: The Bite_

Takao sat against Miyaji's door, shaking from the cold of the night. He'd spent most of the first day away from school and his parents in the woods—literally—angry and confused as to why he was being excluded. Then he went to a streetball tournament and ran into Kagami and Himuro, hanging out with them for a couple hours before deciding that he'd go to his senpai's apartment. What he didn't know was that Miyaji had a one-on-one with Ootsubo until midnight.

"What the—hey, what the hell are you doing here?" Takao looked up at the sound of Miyaji's voice. The blond squatted down to Takao's level and got closer to him, eyeing his face suspiciously. "Why were you crying? I'm not graduating for another year."

Usually Miyaji was being sarcastic, but once during a particularly stressful week Takao mentioned to Midorima that Miyaji was going to graduate and leave them and then they both spent the entire rest of the day unwilling to let go of either of the blond's hands.

"I—I didn't know where else to go." Takao sniffed. "Can't go home."

Miyaji sighed. "I'm not gonna push it and ask, since I said if you needed a place to crash I'd give you one…but don't you have anything? Like an overnight bag or something?" Miyaji glanced around. His apartment complex was pretty far away from the school, in the outskirts of a forest that surrounded the town. "How did you even get here?"

"…Walked." Takao sulked. Miyaji stared at him.

"Please tell me you're joking."

Takao didn't say anything.

"Fine. Okay." Miyaji stood up and grabbed the other by the arm, pulling him up too. He shouldered his backpack and dragged Takao down the steps to the parking lot, pulling out his keys and unlocking his Subaru. "I'm driving you home. Don't be an idiot—" He raised his hands when Takao began to protest, "—I'll go in and get your stuff for you. Because if you think that I'm letting you borrow my cloths you are wrong."

"O-Okay," Takao mumbled as Miyaji started the car and began driving on the single road. The sun was down and the moon rose up above them, abnormally large. The single two-lane road stretching through the forest was putting him on edge. "If you're sure."

Miyaji kept driving. A few minutes passed when the blond leaned forward and squinted. "Hey, is there something in the road…?" He muttered. Takao froze.

"Huh?" He asked. Miyaji flipped on the brights and suddenly slammed on the breaks. Takao got whiplash and smashed his forehad into the glove compartment with a resounding crack and let out a short scream. The car screeched to a halt, but not before hitting something with a heavy thump, crumpling the hood of the car like it was foil. They both flew out only to see a flash of something jolting forward.

"Midorima?!" Miyaji yelled when the greenette slammed into a recuperating Takao and pressed him to the crumpled car hood, nudging his body between the point guard's legs aggressively. Midorima unhinged his jaw and pressed his teeth around Takao's vein, and the other whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut in resignation.

"FUCK NO! GET OFF HIM!" Miyaji bowled into Midorima and they rolled over the car before flopping onto the ground. The human-turned-werewolf flew to his feet the same time Miyaji did and Takao felt a chill up his spine when the look in Midorima's eyes changed from cold to feral and interested. Shit.

"Miyaji!" Takao cried out when Midorima tackled the blond to the ground and began wrestling with him, knowing that he'd be useless even if he tried to intervene. After all, what could he do against Midorima without hurting him? And that was something he wasn't willing to do. He had to trust that the Ace wouldn't do anything bad to their senpai. With shaky hands he pulled out his phone and dialed Aomine's number, eyes glued to the scene before him.

_"Takao?! Where the fuck are you, I've been trying to reach you for hours!"_ Aomine didn't take even seconds to answer.

"M-Mido-chan got out, didn't he." Takao trembled and tried not to drop the phone. Midorima was succeeding in getting on top of Miyaji but the blond wouldn't be counted for nothing, driving a hard punch into the greenette's stomach and reversing their positions. There was an animalistic playfulness in Midorima's eyes.

_"How did you—**shit.**__Takao. Tell me where you are **now**."_

"Near Hana Emi Apartment Complex. P-Please," Takao started crying. "Please come soon. He's—he's—"

_"We're less than a minute away. Listen—don't get near him. No matter what he does, **don't get near him.**_"

"O-Okay." Takao hung up just in time to hear a gasp from Miyaji, and whipped around. Midorima was straddling the blond and using his weight to pin him down. He was bent over sniffing the graceful creamy neck curiously while his hands pinned Miyaji's wrists against the wet pavement.

He opened his mouth to bite down when Aomine's black Honda came screeching down the street like a bat out of hell, headlights blaring brightly and bathing the scene in a pasty white. It stopped a few yards from where Midorima had Miyaji pinned and Aomine and Momoi jumped out with a heap of thick silver chains and a crossbow. Before Momoi could even level the weapon Takao jumped in front of her, shaking but determined.

"No!" He shouted protectively. "Don't hurt him!" He must've looked like a mess, with ugly pale skin from lack of sleep, ruffled hair, and blood welling where he hit his head from whiplash. The car lights turned off automatically and moonlight became their only source of light. Takao could only semi-make out their forms, but the metallic reflection from the silver bow was unmistakable.

"But—"

"No!" Takao pleaded. Aomine pushed him out of the way urgently but it was already too late.

Midorima sunk his wolf's teeth down into Miyaji's neck, slowly and sensually, his teeth sliding into the skin like it was butter. Miyaji froze and squeezed his eyes shut, then continued to struggle for freedom. Midorima held onto his wrists and kept his teeth in fiercely, unmoving like a rock.

"W-What's happening?" Takao asked nervously.

"Shit." Aomine groaned with a stricken expression. "He's—he's trying to mark him."

"_Mark_ him?"

"Make him the Beta. He wants the teeth marks to last." Momoi supplied, a trance-like expression on his face. "Because of the Pack Mentality, aside from mates the Alpha and Beta are the closest. Unlike in a wolf back, Betas of a Werewolf pack are people who could become Alphas if they needed to. Most Betas that are turned by the Alphas naturally try to fight back…"

"Your senpai must really be something," Aomine commented nervously, "If he's managing to hold out this long. Midorima's a force to be reckoned with." Miyaji kept struggling with a pained look on his face. When he tried to move his neck away Midorima growled—literally growled—and tightened his jaw. Miyaji sucked in a breath through his teeth and kept fighting.

A few very awkward, very scary minutes passed. Takao kept crying, so confused and afraid and overwhelmed that he didn't know what else to do, while Momoi went behind the car and called her mother. Aomine awkwardly placed an arm around Takao's shoulders for comfort.

Finally Miyaji arched his back and whined, turning his hand into Midorima's with a scrunched expression. He gasped and opened his eyes, which had turned from bright gold to smoky vivid amber, and an exotic woodsy smell filled the air. The two teens sank into the ground, panting and exhausted.

"What is that?" Takao asked, covering his mouth and nose with a shaky hand.

"The idiot's scenting him." Aomine sighed, pulling his shirt over his nose. "Telling other wolves to stay away from him and letting them know that he has a pack now." Silence fell. Takao couldn't take his eyes off of the teens, his fear wearing off into shock as Midorima slowly pulled his teeth out and licked the bleeding mark.

Something in Miyaji appeared to submit to his kohai because he tilted his head to the side and exposed his neck, allowing Midorima to nuzzle it. Aomine sighed and dropped the silver chains to the ground, leaning back on his car and forcing Takao to do the same.

"Look," He said after noting the shorter teen's expression, "This isn't…He doesn't have control over his actions right now. This is just animalistic desire; don't be jealous. They don't like each other or anything, this is just how they—er, werewolves—happen to do this kind of thing." Why the hell he'd be _jealous_ Takao couldn't fathom. He'd never want to be in Miyaji's position.

"So then Miyaji-senpai really is…" Takao's face fell and he held his face in his hands. "Fuck. This is all my fault. Fuck."

"Don't be an ass." Aomine ordered, ruffling Takao's hair awkwardly. "In a way, this is good for Midorima. He has a Beta now; he'll be more stable." As if on cue Midorima started getting up, holding out his hand and helping Miyaji to his feet. They stayed close to each other, and Miyaji looked half-conscious as he allowed Midorima to wrap an arm around his shoulders and huddle him close with a protective glare.

"Hey, man," Aomine said softly, letting go of Takao's shoulder and taking a step toward the pair. "Look, I know that the last thing you want is to go back, but it's cold outside."

Midorima growled and bared his teeth, stepping back and pulling Miyaji with him. Aomine gulped and retreated back the short distance to his car and tried to think of another option when Takao stepped forward.

"Shin-chan," He said calmly, like they were just chatting after practice. His hands were in his pockets and he smiled cheerily. "You can't stay out here forever, yeah? Please go in the car with them. Pretty pretty please! I won't let them hurt you. I swear."

Aomine watched with wide eyes as Midorima seemed to actually consider the offer. The greenette stayed close to Miyaji and allowed Takao to get close enough to offer his hand, then grabbed the ravenette's wrist tightly. Aomine rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, you have a pack now. Whoop de fuckin' doo." He turned and called over to Momoi. The pink-haired woman was still on the phone talking quietly, one hand brandishing her crossbow and resting it on the top of the car. "Hey, what'd she say?"

Momoi Yuna was one of the most famous Hunters in all the country and was the head of the Hunter's Association of Japan. Yuna's nephew Saitou Kazuki was a teenager and was next-in-line to take over the Momoi Family's affairs with the association. From the way Satsuki was talking it was him she was speaking with.

"She's gone," Momoi frowned and urged him over with a tilt of the head. When he was close, she whispered, "Apparently Izuki-kun's parents are missing. They think it's an akuma."

"Eh?" Aomine scowled. He didn't like meeting with the Izuki family (they had a habit of making bad puns) but they were the strongest magic-using family around and if an akuma had taken them down it must be serious. "When?"

"A week ago; they told Izuki-kun they'd be gone for a few days but never returned. He tried using a locator spell and it didn't work, which means they're either dead or unconscious."

"Ugh." Aomine rolled his eyes. "Okay, well did Kazuki say what to do? Is your mom on her way over?"

Momoi shook her head. "Finding Izuki Sei and Takahiro are a priority, but they're stopping if it takes over a week." She uncovered the phone speaker and talked quietly. "No, I didn't hang up. Please come as soon as possible." A pause. "Yes, two of them." She frowned. "…I don't…yes, of course. Yes. Thank you, Kazu-kun." She clicked the phone off and glanced over at Midorima, Takao, and Miyaji. The prior two were supporting the latter, who looked both distant and alert at the same time.

"Ah." The loud ringtone shot through the silence and Midorima's head snapped up. He glared at Aomine as the bluenette opened his own phone and glanced at the caller's i.d before wincing. "What is it, Kise?" He turned away.

_"So cold! Have you heard from Takaocchi?"_ Kise chirped through the phone.

"Uh…no. We haven't talked to them. Why?"

_"We? Who are you with?"_ The model's voice became flat and robotic, a defense mechanism built in from years of rude interviewers and nosy reporters. Aomine sighed.

"Momoi. Why do you want to know where Takao is?" The werewolf's glare intensified at the sound of his name.

_"Ootsubo-san's looking for him and Midorimacchi. He's worried and couldn't get ahold of Miyaji-san or Midorimacchi. He's like, ten seconds away from calling Akashicchi."_

Shit. "Uh, look. I just saw like all three of them less than a minute ago, I just didn't _talk_ with them." Technically it wasn't a lie. But what he prepared to say next definitely was. "They're hanging around playing streetball. Just tell their Captain to call of the search party because they're _fine_."

_"If you're sure…" _Kise sounded hesitant. _"You're positive that it was them? Because—"_

"God, Kise, stop being annoying! They're fine." Aomine hung up on the model guiltily. He shouldn't have snapped like that, but he was under a lot of pressure and needed some way to vent. More than anything he wanted a one-on-one with the tiger or model, but he had to deal with this first. He'd clean up the mess he'd made and prove that he was a good hunter—no, an amazing one. "We should get going."

"Got it." Momoi handed him the crossbow and went to get the car started. Aomine glanced at Takao before leaning down and hefting the chains into his arms. With a bated stare at the two fresh wolves he made his way to the trunk and jiggled it open, setting the chains and bow down inside.

"C-come on, Mido-chan, senpai. Let's go." Takao pressed and thankfully the alpha listened, him and Takao helping Miyaji into the car before getting in and sandwiching the blond between them.

"Okay." Aomine sighed as he hopped into the passenger side. He turned to Momoi. "Kazuki can take care of this, right?" The pair stared wearily through the windshield; Miyaij's car was still drawn horizontally through the road, part of the right front corner crumpled against the road barrier and one of the tires flat. There were black skid marks against the pavement that would prove to be impossible to hide, but if anyone could do it, Kazuki could.

"Yeah." Momoi nodded and proceeded to reverse into the right lane before driving off.

Takao frowned from behind Momoi. He felt hurt that there was still something going on, something that made them force him out of their home without a single helping hand. Moreso the fact that Midorima seemed to let them stung tenfold, and the notion that he couldn't be trusted around the ace made his chest ache. He blinked back tears at the thought, and the idea that maybe Miyaji wouldn't have gotten bitten if Takao hadn't cowardly done nothing. Miyaji got bit _protecting him_, just like Midorima did, and that was what hurt the most. He wanted to be stronger. He wanted to be able to help, to be able to protect the people he cared about the way they did him. But things would never change if he couldn't figure out what they were keeping secret.

Flinching as something landed softly on his shoulder, he felt Miyaji lean into him with a soft puff of air, pressing his forehead and eyes into the junction of Takao's neck and shoulder. It did not go unnoticed that Midorima was watching them closely. His expression was fond, if not strained, and Takao was reminded that no matter what he was feeling or blamed himself for, he had to be strong and help his teammates.

"You okay?" Aomine asked Takao carefully, noticing his and Midorima's shared look. He was worried about the point guard; it was a lot to take in at once, and it was obvious the kid blamed himself for what happened to both his teammates. He'd love to get a chance to really talk to Takao and help him figure out what was happening but there was honestly too much on his plate. Two people got turned under his watch and that was bad. Really, really bad. He hoped that Kazuki would be willing to keep it all low-key, but dealing with the Hunter's Association was another matter. The most he could do right now was ask a simple follow-up question, "I mean, this is a lot to take in. Are you okay?"

Takao's dark eyes flickered. "Perfect."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Runaway

It was Saturday morning. Exactly Two days after Midorima was turned. Takao was snuggled into Momoi and Aomine's plush couch, swathed in blankets and pillows with only his hands free. One of them held his phone as he sent a long text to his parents about going away on a Team Trip for a few days and asking them to call the school about missing Friday. Sunlight filtered in through the windows and the smell of burnt food floated from the kitchen to the living room as Momoi attempted to make breakfast for all of them.

According to Aomine, who was out with 'Kazuki', Midorima would gradually become himself again over the next few days. Neither mentioned the elephant of the room: Midorima's secret. It was killing Takao to know that there was something keeping him from being allowed into Miyaji and Midorima's (temporary) room that made it dangerous. He felt useless no matter how much Aomine and Momoi comforted him.

He recalled the previous night and tried to sort out what had already happened.

1) Miyaji got turned by Midorima

2) Someone named Kazuki was coming to help them, who apparently was powerful enough to help whereas Aomine could not

3) Miyaji was the Beta, which somehow helped Midorima

4) Izuki's parents were missing

Takao blinked. _Wait. That means…_His heart leapt. This was a good lead! He checked over his shoulder to make sure Momoi was busy and the wolves asleep before dialing his friend.

Izuki answered the phone groggily. _"Hey…are you okay?"_

"I can wake up early when I want to," Takao quipped, "I just never want to. Anyway, that's not why I'm calling."

_"Oh?"_ Concern filled the other's voice. _"Is everything okay? Do you want me to come over?"_

"I…" No, he wasn't fine. He was the opposite of fine. Pale hands pushed back the blankets confining his legs and Takao stretched before moving farther away from the kitchen. He walked out onto the porch overlooking an expanse of forest and felt like he was stuck in some crappy Twilight spinoff.

_"Takao-kun, what's going on? You're worrying me."_

"Um." Takao shivered in the chilly morning air. Mist settled in from the nearby mountains, making the woods an ominous yet beautiful sight. "You—Do you believe in werewolves?"

There was an audible silence as the other line fell and picked back up. _"I believe in many things."_ A yawn. _"But yes, I believe in werewolves. I'm assuming you've met one, then. Unless…"_

"I didn't get bitten." Takao chewed his lip raw and felt his eyes getting watery. It was still difficult for him to process what was happening. Everything felt overwhelming, especially since he wasn't allowed to see his friends but was banned from leaving the house. _To hell with that. Who the hell do they think they are keeping me from my friends but not letting me leave! When they won't even tell me what I'm doing here._ "I—M-Mido-chan did. And then he bit Miyaji-senpai." His shoulders quivered. "I just—I could've done something, you know? And I don't know what's happening; it feels so surreal. And I know you don't need to hear this with your parents missing and everything but I just—I just didn't know who else to call."

_"You know about—"_ Izuki stopped in the middle of his sentence. _"Do you want me to come and get you? It's better to talk about this face-to-face."_

Takao thought about it. He glanced over at his shoulder in the kitchen's direction. Honestly, worrying a freaking _hunter_ was the last thing he cared about. "Yeah. Um, Momoi was talking on the phone about some sort of locator spell? Do you think you could use that to find me?"

_"Yes. I promise I'll explain everything to you as much as I can, okay? Hold tight."_

"I will." Takao promised and hung up. He stepped back inside momentarily to grab his jacket and shoes before sneaking out through the porch steps. He could still hear Momoi clattering away in the kitchen, blasting some weird K-Pop song and singing along.

"I'm sorry, Shin-chan, Senpai." He murmured. Not wanting any chance of being followed he ditched his phone at the bottom stair. "I'll find a way to help you, I swear."

He took of into the forest with a heavy heart, stumbling through the foliage until he found a river. It was relatively small and there were a few mossy rocks that lead across it, but the water was restless and lapped at the edges, soaking Takao's sneakers. Unwilling to turn back he carefully stepped across, airplaning his arms to keep his balance. When he reached the other side he looked back the way he'd come: the house was still in the distance, light diffusing over the small clearing under the porch. The light of the bedroom above the kitchen was off, and Takao could bet that that's where Midorima and Miyaji were.

A strange sensation settled in the pit of his stomach and he stumbled, landing roughly against a tree and sinking down to his knees. Dew and mud soaked through his pants as he quivered in a huddle on the ground, hands clutching his belly. It felt weird, like there was something pushing him around and distorting his sense of gravity. Invisible hands tugged at his shoulders and legs, urging him to stand. He wobbled to his feet and took a few steps forward when he saw them.

Little white papers the size of rubix cubes were floating midair. Each had a character on it in thick black calligraphy, elegantly swooping like wings as the papers fluttered in the ring. They looked like some sort of path, and he wanted to reach out and touch them but they were too far from the ground.

As he began to follow them the strange sensation in his stomach faded, replaced with an urgent pulling in his chest. Each step he took the pushing faded and the pulling got worse, until suddenly his legs buckled and he ended up back on his ass. His head rang as he squeezed his eyes shut and he felt a pair of hands—real this time—gently grasp his shoulders and lean him against something hard.

"Takao-kun? Are you alright? What happened?" Izuki asked worriedly. He was panting as he raised a hand and made a quick, fluid motion. The papers burst into flame and disappeared in a flurry of dark smoke. A cool pale hand pressed itself against Takao's forehead and there was a gentle, fresh sensation like water running down his neck. The pain in Takao's head faded with it and he opened his eyes.

For a third time since Midorima got bitten everything hit him. Like a tidal wave pulling him under he felt like there was no escape, no solution, no right answer. Instinctively he flew forward and tackled the smaller teen to the ground, wrapping his arms around the point guard and sobbing. Izuki began to run hands through his hair comfortingly, uttering quiet words of consolence.

"It's alright to speak, you know." He murmured, and Takao lost it.

"They won't let me see him!" He sobbed. "A-Aomine and Momoi, they won't let me see him—either of them! And it's like, t-they won't even tell me why. They won't let me help, but they're trying to keep me here anyways and it's just so painful! I want to help, I want to do something, but they're keeping me in the dark and it's like all I can feel is confused and hurt even though I _know_ Mido-chan's going through so much worse! A-and he's _letting_ them keep me away! Like I'm a n-nuisance or something, even though last night he d-didn't act like I was one! And it feels like I a-am but I can't even leave because they won't let me!"

"You aren't a nuisance." Izuki said softly into the other's chest, letting Takao grip him tightly and bury his head into his hair. He patted Takao's back lightly. "But I'm worried—do you have a fever? You were on the ground when I found you."

"N-no, I don't think so." Takao sniffed, wiping his eyes and giving his friend a little room to breathe. It was comforting being in such close proximity with someone who wouldn't push him away. "I just—there was something pulling me along the l-lights." He hiccupped once.

"Pulling?" Izuki inquired gently.

"Er, pushing's more accurate. And then when I started following t-the papers that stopped and something in my chest hurt." Takao stared at Izuki's worried face. "Why? Is that bad?"

"It's not…_bad_." Izuki replied. "It's just not…you said Momoi-san and Aomine-san don't want you to see him, but won't let you leave. And that you feel worse when you're farther away, but also felt a tugging when you saw the papers."

"Y-yeah." Takao nodded.

"Alright." Izuki slowly extracted himself from the other and stood up, offering his hand. When they were both on his feet he smiled assuredly. "I'm going to try three tests, alright? They might hurt a little bit, but it won't be anything you can't handle. They're going to tell me why they're doing this to you, and maybe what you can do to help. Alright?"

Takao frowned. "Tests? Momoi-san and Aomine-san didn't…"

"They wouldn't." Izuki nodded. "They can't use magic quite well; it's a genetic ability."

"O-Okay." Takao smiled a little at him. "I trust you."

"I trust you too." Izuki returned the smile before his face turned serious. He took a few steps back and put out his hands straight in front of him with his palms facing Takao. "I'm beginning the first test, okay? It'll only take a second or two."

"I'm ready." Takao nodded. Izuki took a deep breath and something flickered in front of Takao's face. It looked flat and transparent, like thin glass, and glowed blue. They were squares of dull light, getting larger and smaller, a collage-like and crevice-less wall between the two teens. Seconds later, it was gone. Izuki looked mildly pleased and didn't move his arms.

"You passed." He said. "You're definitely not any part wolf or demon. I didn't think so, but it's good to check."

"Yeah." Takao agreed wearily. _Demon?_

"Alright, I'm going to start the next test now, okay?" He didn't let Takao say 'go', instead automatically conjuring another wall exactly like the first one. However this time a burning sensation filled Takao's heart and he stumbled, wavering side to side before toppling over. His vision faded to black momentarily when a hand on his forehead appeared and the same waterfall-shiver down his back sent him surging back to consciousness.

"Are you okay?" Izuki asked, helping him back to his feet. He looked worried, but not enough to say anything about the results.

"Y-Yeah." Takao nodded. He hadn't been expecting the sudden pain, and for some reason felt like it hadn't just been affecting him. Hoping that the last test would be more like the first one he began to mentally prepare himself.

He should've seen it coming, honestly. Izuki didn't give him a heads up this time, no statement or warning. He made some sort of waterbending-looking motion by stepping forward and leaning into one leg, pushing one hand out fluidly and sweeping it in front of Takao's chest like it was a knife. The same faded blue light the walls were made of appeared in front of him but this time, it hurt a lot more than before.

Body moving before his mind could, Takao made a closed peace-sign with his hand and shot it forward. A surge of blue light flew from it like lightning, smashing into Izuki and throwing him against a thick tree. Seirin's point guard smacked against the trunk and slid to the ground, motionless.

"S-Shun-chan!" Takao cried, running forward and ignoring the breathlessness overcoming him. He skidded to a stop and dropped to his knees in front of the smaller teen, taking his head into his hands and checking his neck for a pulse. It was there, just as strong as a normal one, and Izuki's eyes fluttered open. He gave Takao a winded smile and Takao hugged him tightly. "What happened?!"

"I think," Izuki wheezed, "I know what's going on."

"Huh?" Takao pulled back, looking the other dead on with uncertainty. "What is it? What did those tests mean?"

"I don't—" Izuki took a minute to take in a few more gasps and hold his head. His hand drew back with blood across it. "Listen, Takao-kun, you're a—"

"Shh!" Takao slapped a hand over Izuki's mouth and pressed them both into the trees. A snapping noise could be heard in the distance, like a bear or wolf running around. They shared a look and Izuki raised his hands. The same blue wall appeared like a box around them, but there were parts fading into and out of existence and flickering like a bad lightbulb.

"It'll protect us," Izuki gasped. "Hide us from view." His eyes drooped and he forced them back open. "Keep me awake." He ordered, and Takao carefully took off his jacket and balled up the sleeve, using it to staunch the bleeding on the back of the other's head.

Just as he did so a growling noise filled the air. Takao looked over his shoulder and saw something that filled his heart with dread.

A wolf.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Bloody Spirit

Miyaji blinked when Midorima flinched in his sleep, and abruptly woke up. He couldn't remember anything that had happened that would get him, half-naked, in a bed with Midorima of all people, but he guessed that he had to have been pretty drunk, and Midorima drugged. But when he tried to move to a more comfortable position the greenette held on tightly and rolled on top of him with his face pressed into Miyaji's sore neck, and the previous events flooded back.

"Holy _shit_." He swore quietly, fear tensing up like a coil in his chest. Did he—did Midorima _bite_ him? Why? What the hell? Where was Takao? More importantly, where was Miyaji's _shirt_? Did this mean that Midorima kidnapped him or something? He tried to push away, fearful and a little disturbed, but Midorima's grip on his hips and overall weight kept him pinned. Two light green eyes slid open, staring directly into Miyaji's gold ones as if challenging him to move.

And while Miyaji was known for many things, patience was not one of them. He shoved the greenette off of him and bolted towards the door, only to be tackled halfway and shoved to the ground with a low growl. Midorima opened his mouth and Miyaji caught sight of sharp wolf's teeth before gasping and backing up against the wall using his hands. Shit. _Shit_. What the _fuck_?!

"M-Midorima?" Miyaji stuttered, cursing himself and trying not to appear scared. "What the fuck?!"

Something about him mouthing off seemed to snap Midorima out of whatever reverie he was in. The ace shook his head confusedly and the teeth made a crunching, painful noise before morphing back into human teeth and _wow_ that really didn't make Miyaji feel any better.

"I-I…" Midorima looked just about as horrified as Miyaji felt, those flashing green eyes glued to the bite mark on his teammate's neck. "I…oh, god." He stood up and ran out to an adjacent bathroom Miyaji hadn't noticed before. The sounds of retching filled the air, and Miyaji tried to ignore them and the acidic smell that accompanied them.

He shook as he looked around for his shirt and pulled it back on. Looking out the bedroom window there was a misty forest that he didn't recognize, but that definitely wasn't anywhere near Midorima's house. Which lead to the question—where the hell _was_ he?

Not wanting to stay and find out, he bit his lip and stared at the bathroom door. He could leave and probably be better off, maybe call the police and ask them for assistance. Or he could give Midorima the benefit of the doubt and stay to hear him out. Something in his gut urged him to do the latter.

With a heavy sigh he wobbled into the bathroom and dropped next to Midorima. The greenette had finished retching and flushed, now leaning against the wall with his head between his knees. For some reason the sight made Miyaji extremely unhappy and, well, he really didn't need to ask why. Takao and Midorima, they were like part of his family; the makeshift one that Kimura, Nijimura, and Ootsubo had also managed to force themselves into. Miyaji's twisted, weirdo family, and he'd probably care more about them than himself no matter what they did or how they hurt him.

"Hey," He said tiredly, pushing Midorima on his forehead with a sore hand. "What's going on? What's happening?"

Midorima looked up at him through swollen eyes and opened his mouth to reply when something shot through them. Like a jolt of lightning pain flashed through their bodies and soon both teens were writhing on the ground.

"Wha—" Another flash of pain. Miyaji's heartbeat thudded like thunder in his ears and he felt the room lurching side to side. His limbs felt like they were snapping in half and his skin burned like it was on fire. Rounded teeth sharpened and grew and his ass began to hurt like hell. He struggled to get to his feet and blacked out in the process.

When he came to Midorima was gone, but somehow Miyaji knew that he was down in the basement. He could hear Momoi and Aomine talking in hushed voices down in the kitchen and wondered if they knew he was—

_Go! GO! GET TAKAO!_

God, it was like his mind burned. He got to his feet and suddenly realized that he was far closer to the ground than he should've been. And that's when he realized.

Werewolf. He'd gotten bitten by a fucking _werewolf_. Shit on him. How the fuck was he supposed to turn back? And who the hell was it that kept yelling in his head? It sounded like—

Shit.

He took a minute to get rid of limb shakiness and then bolted out of the room. The floor mirror he glanced in revealed a large yet lithe wolf with golden brown fur and vivid orange-amber eyes. He shook his head and tried to clear it of the bizarre image before scrambling down the stairs, thanking god that they were carpeted and that his paws wouldn't slide on them.

When he burst into the living room Aomine and Momoi whipped around.

"Shit!" Aomine yelled and grabbed a heap of chains from the armchair, tossing one end to Momoi. "What the hell's gotten into them?!"

_HE'S IN DANGER! GET HIM!_

Miyaji howled and felt adrenaline pump before leaping over the chain like it was a jump rope and slammed through the sliding glass door to the porch. Shattered glass littered his fur and cut at his haunches and he let loose a whimper, staggering before returning to his quick pace. He burst into the woods at breakneck speed, picking up on the sweet smell of blood and a bitter fear, and doubled it upon hearing a scream. He could almost feel Midorima writhing against restraints back in the basement.

With a growl he flew onto the scene. A massive black wolf the size of a bear was cornering a half-transparent Takao, who was shielding another figure from view. Without thinking Miyaji leapt at the wolf, teeth mashing into a dirty, oily furred neck and using it to wrestle the strange creature to the ground. It snarled and bit Miyaji's ear until it bled, growling victoriously when Miyaji's jaw slackened and the sandy gold wolf whimpered in pain. The attacker took its chance and lunged forward, snapping its jaws around Miyaji's hind leg until a snapping noise sounded. With a flow of unadulterated pain the blond changed forms and flopped to the ground, naked and bleeding and half-conscious. His thigh, a torn mass of bloody pulp and muscle, remained stuck in the wolf's mouth.

"M-Miyaji!" Takao yelled. Miyaji could feel rage and confusion on him like it was a perfume, and wondered why he was here and knew what was going on. However, more overwhelming than all of the other emotions was determination. The wolf let go of his leg, reared up, and prepared to tackle Miyaji when the ravenette jumped between them and put his hands up.

It was like a fucking firework. That's all Miyaji could think. Like some sort of freaky jedi-power mind voodoo light exploding in front of them, and the wolf flew back in the air at least forty feet. It fell with a sickening crunch and didn't move, and the haunting acidic smell that filled the air seconds later let Miyaji know that the other was dead. He blinked slowly, too tired and pained to even scream. Takao turned on him with fear in his eyes and ran out of Miyaji's peripheral view, only to return with a calm (if not slightly wobbly) raven teen.

"Please stay still, Miyaji-san." Came a quiet, unfamiliar voice. Miyaji felt a hand on his thigh and let loose a scream, hands scrabbling for something to grab. His fingers wrenched around a loose tree root and his nails sharpened and splintered the wood as the pain increased tenfold. There was a faintly suppressed whimper drawn out of him before he gasped and the pain went away, replaced with a warm, gooey sensation. He sank into the ground with nails still stuck in the tree root and tried not to pass out from the feeling.

"S-Senpai?" Takao's voice rang through his ears like an alarm.

"Fuck." Miyaji declared languidly. He heard Takao release a strained laugh and sighed in relief. The point guard didn't seem hurt. "Someone explain what the hell is going on. _Now_."

"Please don't move." The unfamiliar voice ordered tiredly, the hands still working at his now numbed leg as Miyaji shifted in his uncomfortable placement. Takao appeared in and out of his field of vision, face and hair streaked with mud and nose rosy from being out too long. "I can't heal it all, but I can fix the bone."

"Bone?" Miyaji gulped, swallowing down his shock and putting on a brave face for his kohai. "Okay." He managed to sound at least a little nonchalant. "That didn't answer my question."

"You're a werewolf." Takao put bluntly, though Miyaji could sense his regret and shame at the announcement. "Sorry." He added as an afterthought.

"No shit." Miyaji groaned when his leg began to hurt again. "Are you one, too? And who the hell is with you?"

"He's Seirin's Point Guard, Shun-chan." Takao answered, crouching down near Miyaji's face and pushing back his blond bangs to gaze worriedly into his eyes. "I don't…I'm not a werewolf. But I can kinda…do stuff, I guess."

"Oh." Miyaji wondered how that worked.

"He's a Lakotan Spirit." Shun interrupted calmly. His voice wavered every few words and he sounded winded. "Cetan."

"I'm a—what?" Takao asked.

"What the fuck is that?" Miyaji demanded, twisting his neck to try and get a vision of the third party.

"Please stay still." Shun repeated. "It's a hawk spirit. Surprisingly enough there are actually quite a few Native American Spirits in Japan."

"Wait," Takao sounded hesitant, "So I'm, like…dead?"

Shun laughed quietly. "No, no, you're misunderstanding me. I'll explain more when we get to wherever you decide to stay, but the short story is part of your soul is descended from Cetan and lay dormant until Midorima-san was bitten and it activated. If I'm not mistaken, Cetan is associated with the East, dedication, good vision, and speed. It would easily explain your Hawk's Eye."

"So then if I can make the same stuff you can, does that mean you're a spirit? Like, an Eagle spirit or something?" Takao asked, still absentmindedly playing with Miyaji's hair and running his hands through the golden locks. It felt good, and Miyaji partially tuned out to the conversation to close his eyes and nuzzle the hand compliantly.

"No," Shun replied. "It's true I'm descended from a linage of strong magic-users, but we have very different powers and play very different roles. For example, the reason why your Cetan spirit awoke was because Midorima-kun turned. You care for him and therefore it is your natural instinct to protect and help him; thus, Cetan enabled you to do so."

"And your power comes from…?" Takao's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought.

"It's uncertain where magic-users powers come from, but they're generally associated with demonic powers that either diluted in blood with time, or were used for more good than harm. However, another theory is that we ourselves are spirits that are trapped in the cycle of rebirth. I personally believe the first, but prefer the second."

"I'm so fucking lost." Miyaji groaned, flopping his head on the ground and sighing. He felt deflated of energy to care, and that numbing, soothing feeling was still drifting over him and lulling his concentration to rest. Just as he was about to fall asleep new smells filled the air: people. He felt his cheek twitch and cocked his head to listen; two pairs of footsteps, a man and a woman, were pattering around loudly. "Someone's coming." He managed to slur.

"Oh?" Takao drew his hand from the blond's hair and looked up worriedly. Miyaji whined in the bottom of his throat when his leg began to burn and felt a larger, colder hand on the back of his neck.

Instincts kicked in and Miyaji twisted around, grabbing the blurry figure that hovered over him and scrambling to pull him to the ground. However, the pain and energy consumed by his transformation rendered him weak, and all he managed to do was flip himself over and jostle his leg. Blearily he opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to try and make out the fuzzy dark figure on top of him.

Blue…Where had he seen that before? Blue hair…Kuroko Tetsuya? No, this was a darker blue, violent and clashing with the gray background. _Daiki. _A voice in the back of his mind answered, a voice that reminded Miyaji an awful lot of Midorima.

He blinked another couple times and made out a haggard face and tan skin before his vision flickered and he succumbed to unconsciousness.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Heal

"I—Is he okay?" Takao began to panic as Aomine plopped down on top of Miyaji's hips, slapping the werewolf's cheeks lightly to see if he'd wake up. Izuki began to move to stop him before wobbling to the side and leaning into Takao, eyes shut and eyebrows knit. "S-Shun-chan! Keep it together!"

"Izuki-senpai?!" Momoi exclaimed, kneeling down next to the pair and placing her pale hand on his forehead. "He's burning up! Too much magic, I'm guessing…" She began mumbling to herself and continued to do so until Aomine snapped at her.

"Momoi! Listen to what I'm saying!" He yelled. She and Takao looked over and saw him gently putting Miyaji's head and shoulders on his legs to elevate them. Vivid blue eyes were directed to the twisted, demonically broken figure lying still on the soft mossy ground. Its tail was caught halfway in a strange mixture of bone and fur and stuck between melding into a naked lower back. Light purple fingers brushed against a wilting fern, just barely making it to the browning plant, never to move again. Momoi was stuck betwixt helping staring and looking away, something about the horrid, grotesque figure drawing her in like a drug.

"Momoi!" She snapped at the sound of her name. Aomine was glaring at her, eyes flicking down to Takao, and she realized that the point guard was what they liked to call 'the victimized onlooker'; someone who had horrible things happening around them and no power to stop it. Takao couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the body that Miyaji assumedly rid of its' owner, most likely scarred from witnessing the killing. She didn't blame him: anyone would be shaken up. And she'd love to talk to him and help him, but now she had to focus on action and result, _not_ effect.

"Takao-kun, do you know the way back to the house?" She asked him kindly, jogging his shoulders and inadvertently jostling Izuki from leaning against the other. The magic-user flopped to the ground with a quiet groan. Takao's eyes snapped from the corpse to her and he nodded shakily.

"I think I remember which way I came."

"Good." She fumbled in her pajama pants pocket and tugged out a piece of foil-wrapped chocolate. Placing it in his hands and curling his fingers around it, she smiled at him warmly. "Please give this to Izuki-senpai when you get back. Eat some yourself as well. Dai-kun and I will be back in a minute, we just need to make sure Miyaji-kun is safe to move."

"O-Okay." Takao nodded again, taking the chocolate and shoving it into his pocket before hoisting Izuki into his arms bridal-style. He paused when they both stood up. "Um…Shun-chan said that I was—"

"Momoi!" Aomine interrupted, glaring at them. "Hurry up! He's losing blood."

Momoi turned her eyes on Takao and looked him up and down. She still wasn't certain about leaving him alone with Midorima when the miracle was…well, but there was no other choice. He couldn't stay out much longer without getting a heart attack, and Izuki obviously needed a good rest to rejuvenate.

"Sorry," She apologized, "Could it wait?"

"O-Of course. It's okay." It wasn't. "I'll just…tell you later." She doubted he would. Her heart yearned to draw him into her arms and listen to his hearts desires. Her mind drew her away to Daiki, medicinal green magic making her fingertips glow with light. Noises of snapping branches and footsteps told her that her orders were being followed.

"Where's Kazuki?" She asked while kneeling down, pressing her glowing fingers against Miyaji's leg. Normally magic wasn't painful, especially not healing magic, but she wasn't exactly trained for it. The werewolf let out a quiet, pitiful whine and turned his head into Aomine's side. The bluenette looked to Momoi helplessly and let his fingers roam over the blonde's scalp, after remembering seeing the elder's teammates do so repeatedly during and after games.

"On his way. I met him in the middle of a job, so he's finishing it up."

"And he's getting stronger?"

"He reminds me of Akashi, kind of. The way he uses his power to see everything." He glared at his friend as she healed Miyaji. "Don't tell him I said that."

"I doubt he knows who Akashi-kun is." She smiled, gingerly working her fingers over the bloody ligament.

"Oh, he knows. He knows everything." Aomine muttered with a glare.

Momoi paused when Miyaji let out a particularly strained whine. "Kazuki would know how to heal him properly." She said quietly. Her fingers and head already hurt from the energy it took to use magic and it hadn't even been five minutes.

Aomine didn't say anything for a while, running his hand through Miyaji's hair. When he did speak, it was dead serious. "Don't you dare compare yourself to him."

"But—"

"You know how his sister is." Aomine stated plainly. "He is the way he is. You are the way you are. That's just the way it is." After a pause, he added, "I like it that way. I like you the way you are."

"Thanks." Momoi sniffed. She loved Kazuki will all her heart—she did, truly, want the best for him. But it was hard…hard that she couldn't live up to her mother's place, hard that she wasn't prepositioned to use magic. Hard that everything she wasn't, Kazuki grew closer and closer to being. She knew his life probably wasn't as perfect as she thought it was and that a lot of stress came with becoming the head of the family. But it was really, really, _really_ hard not to be jealous of him.

With that, she turned her attention back to Miyaji. His leg was torn up and upon closer inspection she could make out the actual teeth marks where his attacker had gouged out the taut, muscled skin. His skin had sewn itself back together but it was a slow process and Momoi could feel her head getting fuzzy and blank. The magic ebbed from her fingers at a halted pace and she swooned a bit and then continued.

"He's…pretty torn up." She murmured. "Go look over at the body while I do this, okay? Make sure it looks like an animal attack."

"Alright." Aomine gave her a fleeting glance before letting go of Miyaji's hair and sauntering over to the body. She heard him whistle. "Wow. Whoever did this, it wasn't Miyaji. There's traces of magic on him. He's like…" A breath in. "Stuck between phasing back to human. Ugh."

Momoi closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on getting energy to her fingertips. It wasn't working, and she knew that it would be useless if Aomine had to carry both her and the werewolf home so once she felt the last of the topical injuries seamlessly connect back together she stopped and heaved a few thick breaths. The mist was beginning to rise but it still hovered near the tops of the trees and filtered the sunlight. It was strange to think that no more than half an hour ago someone had been murdered feet away from where she was squatting, when now it was so peaceful and serene.

"It's alright, then." She sighed and leaned back on her hands. "Most magic-related injuries and deaths are presumed heart attacks. Aomine made his way back over and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Is he okay to pick up?"

"I healed his skin-deep injuries. We can move him but it won't feel very good. And I don't think I should be the one to handle the internal injuries."

"Agreed." Aomine stooped down and pulled the blond over his shoulder with a swift movement. "Come on, let's get back to the house—"

"Wait." Momoi shook her head and stepped in front of him with her hands up. "I'm not done. If there are traces of magic on the body…it has to be either Izuki-kun or Takao-kun who did it. But I don't Izuki-kun did it."

"Eh? Why?"

"Think, Dai-kun."

"You don't mean…" She could see on his face that he was beginning to understand. "Is that why Izuki's here? Because Takao's some sort of magic-user?" He sighed and they began to wander over to the body. "Yeah, that's definitely not his magic." Aomine toed one limp leg and shuddered. "Does he know?"

"Takao-kun wanted to tell me something before he left," Momoi admitted guiltily. She felt at blame for the current situation—for letting down a friend. In the back of her mind she promised herself she'd sit down with Takao and listen to whatever he had to say. However, she also knew she made the right decision by focusing on the current situation, which hurt even more. She hated putting her friends second, especially when they needed her. "This was probably it."

"Well, if Izuki knew about that, then what if he also knows about—you know…_that_." Aomine sounded worried; she didn't blame him. If Takao found out about it there was a huge risk that he'd completely reject Midorima, turn away and shun him forever. And neither hunter was sure the Miracle would be able to survive that blow.

"Let's get back to the house." Momoi suggested, and they began to step away from the mangled body. "If anything, Izuki-kun's unconscious and Takao-kun's in shock, so it's unlikely they've spoken about what's happened."

"You're right." He nodded and began to pick up the pace. Momoi hesitated, stopping completely to look back over her shoulder at the body. It was twisted among the ferns and moss in a strange position, with an arching back and elbows digging into the ground. The mist had cleared enough to let sunlight shine down on it, giving the scene and ethereal effect.

She turned her gaze to Aomine's back. Out of every hunter in his family, he was the last survivor—his parents were gone, disappeared somewhere in China on a mission over two years ago with no letters or calls, and he was an only child. The weight of the situation at hand was probably crushing him, and dealing with Kazuki would put him on edge. Neither she nor him trusted the head-in-training, especially not after realizing who his sister was.

"Are you coming?" Aomine paused and turned impatiently. "Miyaji's not getting any lighter."

"B-Be quiet! I'm not slow, you're just fast!" She pouted at him and he rolled his eyes and kept going, muttering on his breath about a 'demon lady'. Her lips curved into a gentle smile.

_Whatever it is, as long as he's here I'm sure we'll be fine._

They continued on the path together side by side.


End file.
